Picket fence



I (No Mode 1;)

' N. W. MINTON.

. PICKET FENCE.

Patented Au 9, 1892.

UNITED STATES PATENT Enron.

NATHAN WV. MINTON, OF LEBANON, KENTUCKY.

PICKET FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 480,270, dated August 9, 1892. Application filed September 19. 1891- Serial No. 406,284. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NATHAN W. MINTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lebanon, in the county of Marion and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Picket Fences; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention has relation to an improvement in that class of fences known as wireand-picket fences, and it has forits object to improve such fences as employ main wires or runnersin combination with pickets and small wires wrapping the main wires for securing and spacing the pickets, to strengthen such fences, and lessen the cost of construction, as well as providing a means of adjustment whereby sagging may be prevented.

The invention will be fully understood from the following description and claim, when taken in connection with the annexed drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fence or section thereof constructed according to my invention, parts being broken away; and Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the double post which I employ at the finishing end of the fence.

Referring by letter to said drawings, A indicates a post, which is suitably set in the ground at a point Where the fence is to be started, and B indicates a post which is also set in the ground parallel to the post A and at a suitable distance therefrom on the line on which the fence is to be constructed. The post A has a notch or under-cut a on its inner side at a suitable distance from its upper end and receives the beveled end of a diagonal brace C, the opposite or lower end of which is placed against the lower portion of the post B at about the ground-line, as shown, and any suitable number of these posts B are arranged at intervals along the line of fencesay six or eight feet apart-although in some casesit is only necessary to use the posts B at such intervals at opposite ends of the fence.

At the finishing end of the fence I set two parallel posts D D, so as to receive between them the eyebolts E, having the eye a at the inner ends and screw-tapped at their outer ends to receive a nut 12, and an interposed block 0, which block bears against the outer side of both posts, and the eyebolts are de signed to receive the wires, as will be presently explained.

F indicates the main wires, there beingtwo shown in the present illustration, one near the upper and one near the lower ends of the posts and pickets, although it is obvious that more may be used, according to the height of the fence to be constructed. These main wires are sufliciently stout and are wound around the post A at one end, as shown at d, and wrapped at the point e, so as to securely fasten the same 'to said post. The wires are then stretched along the line and carried through holes f in the posts B near their upper and lower ends until brought to their destination or a point where the fence is to terminate, when they are secured in the eyes a of the eyebolts or screw-eyes E, when by means of the nuts thereon said wires may be adjusted to the desired tension.

G indicates the pickets. These pickets are placed vertically across the main wires or runners F and at suitable intervals.

H indicates the securingand spacing wires. These wires are of smaller gage than the main wires F and are suitably secured at one end to the post A and preferably in the loop (1 of said main wires. These wires H are then carried over one side of the picket, as shown at g, after which they are brought around and wrapped to the main wire, as shown at h, thereby securing the pickets to the main wires or runners and spacing the same with respect to each other. This spacing and securing wire is also carried around one side of the posts B and wrapped to the wire at opposite ends thereof, and the terminal end of said wires H are secured with the main wires in the eyes of the adj usting-bolts E.v By this construction it will be perceived that when the adj usting-bolts E are tightened to render the line-wires F more taut the securing-wires 1-1 will also be tightened and the pickets will be more rigidly and securely held in position upon the line-wires.

K indicates diagonal braces having one end beveled and bearing in notches or under-cuts z in the posts D on opposite sides of the pickets, and their lower ends bear against the adjacent posts B',near the ground-line,in amanner similar to the brace C. After the fence has been thus constructed and the ends of the wires secured in the eyebolts and properly adjusted I employ brace-wires I, which are wound around theposts at opposite ends of the fence, as shown, and connect the respective end posts at their upper ends with the upper end of the adjacent post B. A fence thus constructed is very durable, will resist both lateral and longitudinal strain, and any tendency to sag or depress will be quickly removed by the manipulation of the adj ustingbolts.

Having described my invention, what I claimis- The improved fence described, consisting, essentially, of the post at one end, having a notch or under-cut on its inside adjacent to its upper end, intermediate posts arranged at intervals and having horizontal eyes near theirnpper and lower ends, the double post at the opposite. end of the fence, having a notch or under-cut in its inside adjacent to its upper end, the diagonal braces having their upper ends beveled to take into the notches or under-cuts of the end posts and hearing at their opposite ends against the adjacent intermediate posts, the brace-wires I, connecting the upper ends of the end posts and the adjacent intermediate post, the main or line wires passing through the eyes in the intermediate posts and secured at one end to one of the end posts, the threaded eyebolts receiving the opposite ends of said wires and arranged between the members of the double post, the adj usting-nuts on the ends of the said bolts, and the securing and spacing wires embracing the pickets on one side and at op- I posite edges and wrapping the main wires between the pickets, the said securing and spac- ;ing wires being secured at one end to one post and at their opposite ends to the adjusting-bolts, substantially as specified.

NATHAN W. MINTON. Witnesses:

J. A. KELLY, T. G. JAoKsoN. 

